June 13: Morning Devotion

Pastor Tritten · June 13: Morning Devotion

Good Morning, Lord!

I Am Baptized

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:25-27 ESV)

Make the sign of the cross as you say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

 

A Morning Prayer

Almighty God, grant us a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, a cheerful hope in Your mercy, and a sincere love for You and one another; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.^[1]

I Believe …

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the

virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He

descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge

the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

Bible Reading – Psalm 9

To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.

9 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
    I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
² I will be glad and exult in you;
    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

³ When my enemies turn back,
    they stumble and perish before your presence.
⁴ For you have maintained my just cause;
    you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

⁵ You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
    you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
⁶ The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
    their cities you rooted out;
    the very memory of them has perished.

⁷ But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
    he has established his throne for justice,
⁸ and he judges the world with righteousness;
    he judges the peoples with uprightness.

⁹ The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰ And those who know your name put their trust in you,
    for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
    Tell among the peoples his deeds!
¹² For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
    he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

¹³ Be gracious to me, O Lord!
    See my affliction from those who hate me,
    O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴ that I may recount all your praises,
    that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
    I may rejoice in your salvation.

¹⁵ The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
    in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
¹⁶ The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
    the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah

¹⁷ The wicked shall return to Sheol,
    all the nations that forget God.

¹⁸ For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
    and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

¹⁹ Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
    let the nations be judged before you!
²⁰ Put them in fear, O Lord!
    Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah[2]

 

As I meditate on this psalm, I see a picture of God’s salvation. There is conflict in the world. There is injustice. There are those who set themselves against God and against his people. There are those who resist the Gospel and reject Jesus who was crucified and raised for us all. This is all a result of sin – and sin, along with death and the devil, are our greatest enemies. They are enemies we cannot overcome, but God does. He destroys them by the death of Jesus.

I find myself longing for the day when the trials and sorrows of this life are utterly forgotten. Until then, we live in confidence of that salvation. We call upon the LORD to protect us in the midst of our enemies and we strive to walk in his ways, empowered by his Spirit. We live our lives recounting God’s praise, rejoicing in his salvation, and testifying that God has made himself known in Christ, and executed his judgement on him that all who believe in him might find forgiveness, salvation, and hope in him.

 

Question for Meditation

What does this reading teach you about Jesus, what He said and did, or what He wants His followers to believe? What does it teach you about God’s love and forgiveness?

What does this reading lead you to be thankful for?

What behavior, thought, or attitude does this reading challenge? What sin does it lead you to confess?

How might you pray for God to have a richer impact on your life through this reading?

 

Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

The Seventh Petition: “But deliver us from evil.”

Dear Father, please rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to heaven, where we will live eternally with You, and with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. Amen.

 

Prayer

Pray for your church, the pastor, and the staff.

Pray for the needs of your fellow church members – parents, children, youth, the elderly, the ill, and the dying.

 

Benediction

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, ²¹ equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb. 13:20-21 ESV)

 

Taking some time off from writing and recording. Return July 1. Started doing this during the shut-down. I enjoy the writing and recording – and I like to think these are helpful. I want to finish the Ten Commandments in the evening devotions, after that I’m going to re-evaluate the whole morning & evening devotions.

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[1] Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, p. 310

[2] English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.